The Brazos Valley Bombers' playoff chances got a much needed lift from the last-place Alexandria Aces. The Bombers completed a two-game sweep of the Aces with an 8-7 victory Thursday night at Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark.

The Bombers won it in the ninth on a throwing error by Aces' first baseman Britt Gautreaux on a sacrifice bunt by John Cannon. That scored Herbert Romero, who walked and moved to second on a passed ball, one of many mistakes by the Aces who walked nine, committed three errors and had two passed balls.

And if the Bombers make the playoffs, team owner Uri Geva needs to send a thank-you note to the Aces. The Bombers, who lost two games to Alexandria during a 1-8 start to the season, won the last eight against the floundering Aces, who are 8-36 in their last 44 games after starting the season 6-1.

The last two Bombers victories were the biggest. That allowed the Bombers to tie the Victoria Generals in the battle for the Texas Collegiate League's last playoff spot. The East Texas Pump Jacks, which won the first half to qualify for the playoffs, also are winning the second half. That means only one second-half spot is at stake for the four-team playoffs. The last spot will be a wild-card entry going to the team with the best overall record. The Coppell Copperheads (14-8) are in second place in the second half, two games up on the Generals (13-11) with six games left in the regular season. The Bombers (10-14) can't catch the Copperheads, but they are tied with the Generals for the wild card with 25-28 records. The Generals, after taking three of four from the Bombers at home, dropped home games to Coppell on Wednesday and Thursday while BV was taking care of Alexandria.

The Generals and Bombers end the regular season with games at Brazos Valley Bank Ballpark on Wednesday and Thursday. The Generals play their next four games against the Aces, the first two in Alexandria. The Bombers host first-half runner-up Acadiana on Friday and Saturday and then will be at East Texas on Monday and Tuesday.

Alexandria showed life Thursday night starting with a five-run third, but old habits led to the Aces' fifth straight loss.

The Bombers cut the Aces' lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the third, getting two runs on infield hits by Scott Arthur and Trey Porras, along with a throwing error and sacrifice fly by Jacob House.

Alexandria's shoddy defense and the inability to throw strikes helped the Bombers tie the game, then take the lead. In the fourth, the Aces allowed Cannon's pop-up to shallow center field to drop for a single. Cannon eventually scored on Arthur's two-out bloop single to right field. The Bombers took the lead in the fifth by cashing a leadoff double by House. Alexandria starting pitcher Mark Todd walked the next two batters, uncorking a pair of wild pitches in the process.

Alexandria's shoddy defense and the inability to throw strikes helped the Bombers tie the game, then take the lead. In the fourth, the Aces allowed Cannon's pop-up to shallow center field to drop for a single. Cannon eventually scored on Arthur's two-out bloop single to right field. The Bombers took the lead in the fifth by cashing a leadoff double by House. Alexandria starting pitcher Mark Todd walked the next two batters, uncorking a pair of wild pitches in the process.

Then in the sixth a hit batsman and walk by relief pitcher Jordan Calandro led to a run, even though the Bombers still needed more help. Arthur, who was on second base, alertly drew a throw from Alexandria right fielder Josh Salmon on a fly ball for the second out. Third baseman Valentine Helldobler couldn't handle Salmon's one-hop throw, and the ball went out of play for a two-base error because Calandro was slow to backup third base.

Calandro was at the center of controversy in the bottom of the eighth after the Aces had tied it with two runs on four singles.

Calandro and the Aces thought they'd struck out Brennyn Smith twice to end the inning. The Aces walked toward the dugout on the second pitch. Home-plate umpire Steven Zeig took off his mask and stepped in front of the plate, talking to Calandro. A few moments later, Zeig looked toward the Aces' dugout, apparently talking to head coach Freddy Rodriguez. Calandro recovered to retire Smith on a pop-up, stranding two runners.

Calandro, though, was thrown out of the game before reaching the dugout. That incensed Rodriguez, who was thrown out for the third time this season. He managed to get in the face of Zeig halfway between home and third base, even though third-base umpire James Meyer was trying to restrain Rodriguez, who eventually was escorted to the dugout by a Department of Public Safety trooper along with help from two of the Aces.

Calandro, who pitched four hitless innings, was replaced by Steven Kimmelman, who walked the first two batters. On Cannon's sacrifice, it appeared Gautreaux would have retired the lead runner at third with a good throw, but his effort was in the dirt and bounced away from Helldobler.

The Bombers also struggled as walks and errors helped the Aces score five in the third.

Bombers' starting pitcher Jameson Holt walked the last two batters in the Aces' lineup, Gautreaux and Zach Brecht. Cody Sewell bunted for a hit as the Bombers had trouble covering first base.

Jami Rachal and Jonathan Wilson each had an RBI single to left field. A fielding error by Bombers' third baseman Adam Smith and a throwing error by second baseman Brennyn Smith allowed two more runs to score.

In a sign of things to come, the game started 49 minutes late because the majority of the infield was replaced after an irrigation leak.

Brennyn Smith, who came in hitting .215, had a two-run, two-out single in the first.

Alexandria 005 000 020 -- 7 7 3

BV Bombers 202 111 001 -- 8 9 3

Mark Todd, Jordan Calandro (5), Steven Kimmelman (9) and Ridge Gonsoulin. Jameson Holt, Josh Dean (7), Logan Burch (8) and John Cannon. W -- Burch. L -- Kimmelman.